The City of Detroit, Detroit Exploration and Nature Center (DEN), People for Palmer Park (PFPP) and a team of ecological experts are working together to make Lake Frances and Witherell Woods more healthy, usable, and beautiful. This team has collaborated to initiate a substantial habitat restoration initiative in Palmer Park as one of seven projects selected to receive grant funding to benefit communities and wildlife habitats in southeast Michigan by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Over the next year, we will clean up the Lake, replace invasive species with native plants, and improve walking and biking paths on the South end of the park. We will also be developing a long-term ecological restoration and management plan for the remnant woods occupying the center of the park. We have begun the detailed planning, design, permitting and an intensive community engagement process for this effort, including a public survey. We are also in the process of seeking participation from allied stakeholder groups, agencies, and institutions, all of whom are essential to the long-term success of this effort. This amazing ecological transformation in the much-cherished Palmer Park, will provide a myriad of opportunities, including education, research, public access to nature, and others.  


Watch the first meeting of stakeholders
Here is a link to the full Stakeholder Meeting #1 Zoom call held by the City of Detroit on 3/17/2021.
This presentation gives you a great overview of the Lake Frances project and how it started and what the plans are for this beautiful habitat in Palmer Park. Learn then about the construction schedule, the expected activities and—very importantly—the Community engagement we hope all of you will be a part of. The presentation begins at the 01:13 mark if you'd like to skip the side discussion in progress at the beginning.

Take the Survey
The City is also monitoring this Palmer Park Habitat Restoration Project Survey and encourage all to give their input. Your participation in the survey will help us design our programming, outreach strategy, and communication materials. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

​Zoom Link:
https://cityofdetroit.zoom.us/rec/share/ohCbkgORqoA5eq4cQXNacYEzBRVhTPrkykXvBSncLBFZbBQyZFO6EhjRI0SQEXBJ.yxosWcgkZOU1gglM

SAVE THE DATE!
​Saturday, April 17, 2021
10:00am - Meeting & Committee Presentations
​
PUBLIC LINK TO ZOOM MEETING: https://bit.ly/3ffx6Km

Thanks to the amazing work and support of District 2 Councilman Roy McCalister Jr. and the City of Detroit, the historic State Fairgrounds bandshell will be relocated a half mile south to Palmer Park.  

“By preserving the bandshell it saves a piece of Detroit history,” said Rochelle Lento, president of People For Palmer Park. “This is a great opportunity to continue the redevelopment and activation of Palmer Park that the City and People for Palmer Park have collaborated on for the past ten years, and to resurrect a positive attribute for the surrounding communities in an exciting way.”

As the new Amazon fulfillment center and indoor transit center for the Detroit Department of Transportation started to take shape at the longtime site of the Michigan State Fairgrounds, plans to demolish the 83-year old bandshell were not well received by the public and after some media attention, and discussions with Amazon, the City and People for Palmer Park, plans were made to disassemble and move the bandshell to its new home in Palmer. Proposed location is in the old back nine of the former public golf course no longer in use, just north of our community garden.

This move will not be done without community input and the City of Detroit and its Department of Neighborhoods will be engaging residents and community organizations like People for Palmer Park closely on this project as funds are raised and design and location are worked out. We will keep you updated as plans progress.

In 2014, we unveiled our Master Plan Proposal for Palmer Park, and having a bandshell was one part of the vision. Being able to repurpose the existing one is an incredible turn of events for our organization and the potential to see families gathering for cultural events here is exciting.

For more on the bandshell move: 
https://detroitmi.gov/news/councilmember-mccalister-mayor-duggan-preserve-historic-state-fairgrounds

As part of a collaboration with Eastern Market and the City of Detroit, we are proud to be a part of the new Palmer Park Farmers Market which will be open every Wednesday, 4:30-7:30pm beginning July 8th through September 30th.

The Market will take place at the SW corner of 7 Mile and Woodward, at the Detroit Exploration & Nature Center. The Palmer Park Farmers Market is a member of the Detroit Community Markets and aims to make essential things accessible to the community while supporting our local growers & entrepreneurs.

Know that the market will be enforcing some very practical social distance policies to keep everyone safe.

Confirmed vendors for first market include:

• Deeply Rooted Produce
• Judella's Sweets and Treats
• McElroy Farms
• Extravagant Organics
• Detroit Garden Girl
• Pastry Luv
• Eastern Market
• CiCi's Seamoss

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
To sign up: https://forms.gle/uHdfdQhzmjT2A7qC6

For more information and to follow the Market updates throughout the summer:

Facebook + Instagram: @PalmerParkFarmersMarket
Email: [email protected]

Powered by Eastern Market, Detroit Community Markets, City of Detroit Parks & Recreation Department and People for Palmer Park.

Organizational Description:
Palmer Park is comprised of 296 acres of lawns and historic woodlands, a public golf course, tennis courts, state-of-art splash pad, hiking and biking trails, Lake Frances, a historic log cabin, and more. With continued city budget cuts and limited financial resources, the City has encouraged creative solutions from citizens to keep our parks alive and healthy. People for Palmer Park accepted this challenge, and has officially adopted Palmer Park. People for Palmer Park  (PFPP) is committed to the preservation, recreation and revitalization of Palmer Park, for the good of all. Our vision is to create an urban oasis, regional destination, and daily recreation site that will promote an active and healthy community. Our guiding values include preservation of park resources; restoration and preservation of the park’s history; equal benefit and access to the park; creation of a safe park environment; responsiveness to park users and the community; timeliness in our actions; and collaboration and cooperation with the city, community, and stakeholders.

We believe that with the collective energy, efforts, and talents of the people who use and love the park, it can be revitalized to its fullest potential and restored to Senator Palmer’s vision when he donated the land for the park in the late 1800s: “a park for the good of everyone.”
 
Position Description:
PFPP is seeking a Farm & Community Engagement Manager. This position is responsible for overseeing in-ground and plant production at the Palmer Park Urban Garden, an approximate one-acre urban farm located in Palmer Park, Detroit. (The one-acre is the portion currently being cultivated, however, it is part of a larger, almost 5-6 acre area that may be developed in the future.) The site, owned by the city of Detroit and operated by People for Palmer Park includes twenty (20) 4x4 raised beds, which have been planted with a variety of vegetables, herbs and perennial flowers/herbs,  a compost station, a rain catchment irrigation system, a greenhouse (under construction) and a pumpkin patch area has been planted annually.

In addition, People for Palmer Park previously planted approximately 700 apple trees in three different orchard areas. While there is a grounds crew engaged to do the major mowing, mulching and tree maintenance, the farm manager will assist with coordinating volunteers to do some regular oversight and maintenance of the orchards.
 
The Farm & Community Engagement Manager will also work closely People for Palmer Park to develop a maintenance and harvest plan. S/he will be responsible for recruiting and training volunteers and connecting with local organizations.  S/he will also need to utilize farm/garden tools, and operate light machinery including a farm tractor; occasional maintenance and repair of this equipment may be required.

The Farm & Community Engagement Manager reports to PFPP’s president, Rochelle Lento and Preservation Committee Chair, Clinton Griffin.
 
Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee the production of vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit, and seed at the PFPP garden including supervision and volunteers engaged in fieldwork at the site.
• Oversee transplant production by providing support and supervision to volunteers.
• Facilitate an annual farm planning process for the PFPP Farm. to include a site map, field plan, harvest plan, planning schedule, crop rotation plan, labor plan, and farm budget.
• Maintain and improve quality of produce and soil.
• Maintain records to monitor and evaluate key farm inputs, outputs, and activities.
• Assist with the development and implementation of farm-based education for urban gardeners and farmers.
• Assist with community engagement initiatives at the PFPP Farm including events, tours, and regularly scheduled working lessons/volunteer opportunities.
• Attend PFPP meetings, trainings, and other key citywide events, as needed.

 
Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate will have 2-5 years of organic farming experience, including transplant production, farm planning, and harvest and post-harvest handling.
• Interest and familiarity with issues relating to the City of Detroit, local food, food access, and sustainable agriculture, and a genuine appreciation of the urban environment.
• Strong organizational and written/verbal communication skills; proficiency in MS Word and Excel required.
• Experience supervising volunteers and working with diverse communities.
• Experience teaching youth and/or adults, preferably in a farm or garden setting.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to lift 40 pounds.
• Driver’s license is preferred but not required.
• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, social work, community organization, natural resources, plant science, horticulture or a related field is preferred but not required.

 
How to Apply:
Please send email of your resume and brief cover letter no later than March 21st to Rochelle Lento, People for Palmer Park Board President of [email protected] or to PO Box 43734, Detroit MI 48243. Use the job title as the subject line.

For more information, please visit our Garden info page or call 313-727-9925.